


Binding Circle

by Gwenore



Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Changeling - Freeform, F/M, Magic, Summoning Circles, Walter Strickler - Freeform, trapped changeling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-03-31 11:32:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13974228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenore/pseuds/Gwenore
Summary: Barbara struggles after her love left her and her young son Jim all of the sudden, as if he had vanished into thin air. One night she gets a package with a strange books which suggest he has been trapped in the Darklands and the only way to find out what has happened is to summon a changeling and bind it to her will.





	1. Chapter 1

“Why did he leave?”

Those words pained Barbara to hear out of the mouth of her young son. Jim was only five years old and how could she make him understand something that she found it hard to understand herself?

“Didn’t he love us anymore?”

The words stabbed her heart and making her hurt as she tucked him into bed, stroking the boys black hair gently.

“Of course he still loves us… he just had to leave for a while. People do that some times…” Barbara attempted to soothe him.

“Will he come back?”

Again Barbara bit her lips nervously as she brought the blanket up over her small child. It was hard. It had already been a couple of weeks, but she would still catch Jim look out the window waiting for that familiar car to drive down the street and park in the driveway.

“I don’t quite know kiddo… he might,” Barbara said, kissing his forehead. “But know this… I will never leave you alright? No matter what happens… I will always be here.”

The child gave her a smile nodding his head.

“I know,” his blue eyes then turned sad again as he looked at her. “But… I wish he could be here too.”

“I know… so do I.”

Barbara sat by her son’s bedside for some time, holding his small hand, before she stood up and walked to the door, turning out the light.

“Good night, I will see you tomorrow,” she said softly.

“Night, night,” the young child said as he brought the blanket around himself as he closed his eyes, holding around his large green dragon plushy that he had given him shortly before he vanished.

Barbara remained standing in the hallway, standing there as she leaned against the wall. She tried not to cry, running her hands through her messy hair. She tried to never cry in front of Jim. Trying to seem happy and upbeat.

But… even now she felt tears in the corner of her eyes.

Her mind echoed Jim’s words. _Why did he leave? Why did he not even say goodbye? Everything was so good and then…_

Barbara dried her eyes. It wasn’t like people had not left her before… she should be used to it by now.

The ringing of the doorbell gave her something else to think about… even if for a couple of minutes so Barbara was grateful as she moved to the door. Opening it she found a delivery driver standing there, holding a box.

“Barbara Lake?” he questioned.

“Yes, I am her,” she was puzzled… she was not expecting a package.

“Sign here,” he said as she presented her with the clipboard. Barbara did quickly as was handing a small cardboard box. With that the delivery driver told her goodbye which she did too, bringing in the box and placed it gently on the table. Getting a knife she slowly opened it. Inside there was a book and an assortment of different items.

“What is this…?” Barbara continued to move through them, trying to find a letter or an explanation. Then she understood. This was his things. But who would send her those things?

Slowly her fingers wrapped around the book. Opening it.

It was old… ancient even. The pages long since having taken on a brownish discoloring, looking to be written by hand. Sitting down she was stunned as she continued to read, her brows furrowing.

These things… it had to be some sort of fiction. It spoke of creatures… trolls… and magic… then she came to a page which spoke about the Darklands. Where all the horrid creatures which had feasted on the humans in ancient times. Terrifying horrid things which only the darkness could contain.

They were trapped there, never to allow to enter the surface world again. Her heart then skipped a beat when she saw a small drawn arrow to a certain passage.

Reading through she read that humans… humans who became too curious sometimes entered the Darklands… but once they did, they could never get out, as trapped as the beasts and horrid creatures.

Barbara’s eyes was filled with worry as she struggled to comprehend.

Then she noticed a tiny scribbled note at the bottom of the passage.

_He is here._

Barbara’s hands were shaking at this point. Surely… surely this was not true… it couldn’t be.

She continued to read through the book, trying to find more information. Any clue. He had vanished without a trace. Leaving everything behind. His car… wallet… everything. If he had left… wouldn’t he need those things. From what she knew about the police investigation even the money he had in the bank hadn’t been touched.

It always bothered her… but this… this was insane.

But… what if it was true…?

Slowly she continued to read through the book she came across something which furrowed her brows. A creature known as a changeling. These creatures could wander between the realms for a short time. Even remain in the surface world for an amount of time.

They could bring humans into the Darklands, but due to their devious nature they would gleefully abandon humans in that place with no way to return.

But these creatures could be… summoned and bound in something called a binding circle. As long as they were in the binding circle they were in the control of those that had summoned them. It was filled with warnings however. That they would trick and deceive humans and then attack them, as blood thirsty as the rest of the creatures belonging to the Darklands.

Vile and disgusting creatures, impure and hated by even the other beings bound to that place.

Barbara turned the page with a trembling hand and a gasp exited her lips.

There… the summoning spell… instructions on how to create the binding circle and bind a changeling to their will.

Instantly she closed the book.

It wasn’t like she could do something like that… it was not like…

She continued to hold onto the book, feeling almost as she was going to throw up.

But… what if it was true?

That thought came back to haunt her. What if he really was trapped in that horrid place. Should she not do her everything to save him? To figure out if it was really true…

She tossed the book back into the box before she hid it in the closet. It was insanity… she just… she just had to accept that he was gone. That he would not return.

But for the rest of the night she found her eyes wandering to the closet door as she felt her heart clench, a deep sorrow weighing down upon her shoulders.

 

A couple of days had passed since that package had come to her door. Jim was spending the weekend with his grandparents, giving Barbara some free time to just… relax.

Yet… relaxing was not on Barbara’s mind.

She had to know… she had to know for certain. If it was just some book written by some twisted mind then… the ritual wouldn’t work. It was no harm in her doing this as unless…

Unless it was true and he really was trapped in that awful place.

Barbara had not been able to sleep, those thoughts had haunted her until she decided to do it. The… ingredients had been strange. There was several types of rocks required… luckily all sold at the museum as souvenirs and not too expensive.

Then there was… horseshoes made of iron which was to be nailed down to the floor with an iron spikes. This was to keep the changeling from escaping. Those had been a bit harder to come by but there was a ranch not long outside of town which sold such equipment so even that was not that hard.

Chalk was also needed to draw in the symbols. Again… not too difficult to get ones hands on.

The rest she had. Items of his, something he had given her and… a knife and her own blood. This was to bind the creature to her and also let it know who she was looking for.

It did not take her long to ready everything in the basement… the best place she figured for it… not like she wanted to nail iron spikes into her living room floor. That was certain to draw all sorts of questions.

It was nearing eleven pm when she stood before the circle placing the two objects into the circle, one being a pen of his that she had gotten along with the box and the other was a ring he had given her.

Barbara could not believe that she was going through with something like this! It was insanity… right? Her blue eyes fell down on her hand and the knife that she held.

The book was placed on a chair not far from her so she could read the incantation written on those pages.

Barbara swallowed as she cut her hand as she allowed the blood to drip down upon the items as she stutteringly spoke those words.

As that final word came from her lips the basement started to shake as those symbols gained a green glow.

“No way…” Barbara fell over in shock as she stared in shock as that green light grew stronger forming a human shape and then.

Barbara’s voice died in her throat as she was about to scream.

There in the circle stood a… a changeling.

Her eyes moved over that green skin, meeting those unnatural glowing eyes with that blood red narrow pupil. He… because it was clearly male, had long horns, dressed in a long cape crowned with metal blades around the collar. There was a loincloth around his hips, and she could see how the beings skin was… for the lack of a better word carved with strange lines.

The being looked disoriented until those glowing eyes fell on her and it snarled, a fearsome set of tusks ready to dig into her flesh as it brandished those black claws.

But as it attempted to lunch for her it stopped, looking down at the floor as a deep near manic chuckle came from its jaws.

“Clever human…” it then spoke, sending chills down her spine.

Barbara gathered herself, standing up on shaking legs, but in her blue eyes there was now a steely determination. She was going to have the answers she sought.

“Changeling!” she gathered up all the courage she had as she stood before that unnatural creature. “Do you know why I summoned you?”

A soft chuckle came past his lips.

“Yes.”

Barbara’s heart skipped a beat.

“Do you know whom I search?” she then continued. Again there was a mocking laugh from the creature followed by one word.

“Yes.”

“Tell me where he is!” Barbara was met with a low continuous chuckle. Mocking her.

“Lost,” was all that he told her. Rage was building within her, how dared this creature laugh and mock her when she was trying to save the man she loved?

“Be silent! You are supposed to serve me! You are bound to me! So tell me, changeling! Tell me!” She shouted towards him. “Tell me where is _Walter Strickler_?!”

A deep near manic chuckle came from between the changelings sharp teeth, doing so for some time, chilling Barbara to the core before he spoke:

“You will never see him again.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara speaks with the changeling about the fate of Walter Strickler.

_You will never see him again…_

Those words rang through Barbara’s head as she looked into those glowing yellow eyes. She then shook her head determined.

“No! I refuse to believe that is true!” she insisted.

“Well… it doesn’t matter much if you believe it or not. The truth cares little for what you think should be,” the creature hissed towards her.

“Just go find him!” she stepped closer to the circle, once again met with that mocking chuckle.

“Oh, yes… just… release me from the circle and I will go right down to the Darklands and fetch him for you, it will take about five minutes,” the changeling moved his hand in an exaggerated movement.

“You are mocking me,” Barbara gritted her teeth.

“Of course I am because you are being ridiculous. Tell me, what do you think the Darklands are? You think it is just to go down there and get someone out? No. It does not work like that. The Darklands are bigger than your pitiful human world. It is massive beyond recognition. Filled with all the horrors that you told yourself could not exist as a small child when you feared the monster under your bed. I assure you, human. They are all real. Because I have seen them. And one thing. The Darklands do not let people go. It digs its claws into them, never wanting to relinquish what is given to the world of the sun,” the changeling moved as close to the boundary as he could as he made certain to look deep into her blue eyes. Barbara felt her heart almost skip a beat as she looked fearfully into those glowing eyes.

“So… it is my suggestion that you should forget about him. Human lives are short, no use spending your limited days mourning over him. I am quite certain you can find someone else. Perhaps not the best judge, but I certainly find you… enchanting,” the creature grinned as Barbara felt a slight chill go down her back. The changeling clearly saw her reaction as a low growling chuckle came past those sharp teeth.

“I will not abandon him!” Barbara stepped even closer, refusing to show her fear to this creature.

“Hm… why not? He abandoned you did he not?” the changeling teased her. Barbara stopped, clutching her hand over her chest.

“No… it was not like that…” she defended herself.

“Wasn’t it? How do you think he got stuck in the Darklands? You think… what was he? History teacher was it? I assure you, normal boring men hardly get trapped in that place nor know about these things in the first place. Know I speak the truth that no one who is in the Darklands is there without reason,” the changeling cocked his head slightly as he grinded his long teeth together. “Besides… what did you really know about this man that you claim to love?”

“I knew him! He is a good man!” Barbara countered.

“Oh? Truly? You did not know he was involved in this did you?” the changeling chuckled teasingly. “Also… where was he from? Have you met anyone from his past? Who his family is? Do you know ANYTHING about his life before this town?”

A glee came upon the changeling’s face as he saw the doubt growing on the human woman’s face.

“Ah… I see. I was right, was I not? You really know nothing about this man whom you claim to be good. I am sorry to disappoint you, because he was nothing remotely like a good man. Good men does not abandon the ones that they claim to love after all. I assure you that Walter Strickler is exactly where he belongs,” the changeling continued.

Barbara shook her head as if she tried to get rid of the words that had seemingly burrowed their way into her head.

“No, he left because he had to, he told me,” she insisted.

“Well… perhaps he had too, but just because you have no choice does not make you innocent. As I said. No good men get trapped in the Darklands,” the changeling rolled his eyes.

“Who took him to the Darklands?” Barbara continued her questioning.

“He took himself to the Darklands… then again if you are looking for the changeling to blame… I suppose that would be me,” he explained as he rolled his wrist slightly.

“You…” the word seemed to fell out of her mouth.

“Yes, I am the reason why you will never see him again,” the changeling licked his tusks slightly. Barbara could hardly believe what she had been told as anger and rage was filling her blue eyes.

“You… abandoned him in that horrible place?” she then said. He did not answer her, simply letting out a low chuckle.

Barbara clutched her wrist against the side of her head, twisting a couple of strands of her auburn hair between her fingers as her entire body was trembling. This… monster was the reason why the man she loved was trapped in that hell. Why her son had been waiting by the door every night for someone who would not come and the reason for so many tears both he and she had shed. All because of this… monster! This monster who had ripped apart what could have been.

She wanted to strangle him, just about closed the distance when she remembered what the book had warned her about.

That she must not cross into the circle.

If she did he was able to get to her. So she stood there… unable to get the revenge she wanted so dearly. The changeling stepped as close as he could, making certain to be as close to her as the circle allowed him.

“Now how about you send me back to that place… unless you want to come with me… it is certainly something that you could order me to do… but fair warning, the moment that I leave this circle I am no longer bound to you, so… well… I suppose you can imagine. So far you have proven to be far more clever than the average human,” the being explained.

“No… but if you brought him to that place you know where he is!” she realized the implication of his words.

“Well… I know where he is, but that does not mean that I can bring the man you knew back. That man is gone,” the changeling sneered towards her. Barbara felt tears start to form in her eyes, now hardly being able to look at him.

“So you killed him?” she then asked, her voice now trembling with anger and grief.

“Hm… you may say I killed the man you thought that you knew. I might as well have, because… know that what I say is true… there is no way to bring that man back. He is gone and he is never coming back,” the changeling sneered towards her. Barbara stood there swallowing as she closed her eyes.

The image of that man she had fallen for surfaced from her memories. She remembered when they had met in that coffee shop by the hospital, when Jim had ran up to this middle aged man who was simply reading the paper. Promptly the young boy… who had been so shy, but was clearly missing his father had started to ramble on about all sort of things. Instead of shooing the boy away like most who simply wanted to take their coffee in peace when reading the paper would have, the man put down the paper and spoke with her son, who light up with excitement.

She had attempted to excuse her son, but he had simply shaken his head, and said that he appreciated the company, that he took his coffee alone most days and this proved to be a very pleasant distraction. He invited both of them to sit by his table as the small coffee place was already quite full.

This was the day that she met the man named Walter Strickler. She had given him her number and they had met up at that coffee shop and it was there that they had shared their first kiss. He never minded the times where she had to bring Jim along, and Jim was always excited for when he was able to meet with Walter.

At Jim’s birthday Walter had given him a big plush green dragon and since then Jim would never go anywhere without it. The day when it had to be put in the washer since he and Toby had decided it was a good idea to give it a mud bath, Jim would sit and watch it in there, just to make certain that it was alright, refusing to go to bed without it.

Of course perhaps it was foolish of her… there weren’t even that much time that had really passed, but all she could think about was the future of all of them being a family. It was really all that she had ever really wanted.

But then…

There was no longer any word for him. He was gone.

Her eyes then opened again to look into the despicable yellow eyes of this… creature. This wretch of the worst kind.

He had ripped all that away from her and now stood here and mocked her.

“Oh, if looks could kill,” the creature said as he chuckled lowly. “Now that you know that Walter Strickler cannot ever return… how about you release me back into the darkness where I belong?”

Again the anger flared up within Barbara. That this creature would go unpunished for taking such a great man from the world. For practically killing him.

“No,” she then said firmly.

“No?” the changeling cocked his head.

“No. I won’t send you back. If he is stuck in that place, you are stuck in that circle, right here and I will not release you,” she sneered. The changeling looked surprised for a moment before a low chuckle came from his mouth.

“Oh, you intend on keeping a changeling in your basement? That is certainly an… interesting prospect,” the changeling chuckled.

“If he is trapped in that place because of you… I will trap you in here for as long as I can,” Barbara vowed in that moment. The changeling moved his jaw slightly.

“Well… once you die I will be free from my bond… and you have what? Thirty… forty years? Fifty if you are lucky. I have lived so many of your pathetic mortal lives, your life will pass in but a moment for me and I have become very patient. A human life is nothing. I can wait,” the changeling snarled towards her.

“Enjoy the basement, you will be staying there for the next couple of decades,” she spat at him before she turned around and stomped up the stairs, not wanting to allow this creature to see her cry.

As the door slammed behind her the darkness filled the basement and the only light came from the eyes of the changeling’s eyes. He gritted his teeth as the pain nearly pierced his stone heart in two as he fell to his knees. There the wretched creature remained, soundlessly weeping within the darkness that he knew so well.


End file.
